Best Pasta Maker (8 Picks for Rolled, Extruded and Hand-Cut Pasta)

Most fresh pasta problems are not about the recipe. They come from using the wrong kind of machine for the shape you actually want to eat.

A roller makes flat sheets, ribbons and ravioli. An extruder makes tubes and spirals. One cannot do the other’s job, so the first choice is the shape, not the brand.

The short version: For most kitchens, the Marcato Atlas+ is the pasta maker to buy, because it rolls very even sheets, cuts three shapes and can take a motor later. If you want penne and fusilli with almost no effort, choose the Philips 7000 Series Pasta Maker instead. Before you buy anything, decide whether you want ribbons or tubes.

Our Picks at a Glance

• Best overall: Marcato Atlas+ Pasta MachineJump to review ↓
• Best for KitchenAid owners: KitchenAid 3-Piece Pasta Roller and Cutter Set KSMPRAJump to review ↓
• Best mixer attachment for tubes and spirals: KitchenAid Gourmet Pasta Press KSMPEXTAJump to review ↓
• Best automatic pasta maker: Philips 7000 Series Pasta Maker HR2660/03Jump to review ↓
• Best for small kitchens: Philips Viva Compact Pasta and Noodle Maker HR2371/05Jump to review ↓
• Best without a machine: Verve Culture Italian Pasta Chitarra With Rolling PinJump to review ↓
• Best add-on for ravioli: Marcato Ravioli Attachment for Atlas 150Jump to review ↓
• Best drying rack: Marcato Tacapasta Pasta Drying RackJump to review ↓

We chose them from maker specs, owner review patterns and how well each one does a job the others cannot. Each model is still sold by its maker.

Pasta Maker Comparison Table

Pick	Type	Shapes it makes	Power	Takes up	Cleaning
Marcato Atlas+	Manual roller	Sheets, fettuccine, tagliolini, spaghetti	Hand crank (motor optional)	Clamps to a counter edge	Dry brush only
KitchenAid KSMPRA	Mixer roller and cutters	Sheets, spaghetti, fettuccine	Your KitchenAid mixer	Three pieces in a drawer	Dry brush only
KitchenAid KSMPEXTA	Mixer extruder	Spaghetti, bucatini, fusilli, rigatoni, two macaroni	Your KitchenAid mixer	One unit plus six discs	Hand wash, cleaning tool
Philips 7000 Series	Automatic extruder	Eight disc shapes	Built-in motor	Full countertop appliance	Dishwasher-safe parts
Philips Viva Compact	Automatic extruder	Spaghetti, penne, fettuccine	Built-in motor	About 5.3 in wide	Let dough dry, then clear the disc
Verve Culture Chitarra	Wooden string frame	Square spaghetti, wider noodles	Rolling pin	Flat frame, slides on a shelf	Hand wash, dry well
Marcato Ravioli Attachment	Atlas add-on	Square ravioli	Hand crank only	Small box	Dry brush only
Marcato Tacapasta	Drying rack	Holds long pasta	None	Folds flat	Wipe clean

1. Marcato Atlas+ Pasta Machine: Best Overall

The rollers are the reason to buy it. They are made of anodized aluminum, which means the metal has been treated so its surface is hard and does not react with food.

Thick settings let you fold and re-roll the dough to make it smooth. The thin end gets sheets fine enough to see your hand through, which is what you want for ravioli and delicate noodles.

What sets the Atlas+ apart from older Atlas models is the cleaning. The combs and scrapers, the little teeth under the cutters that strip the noodles away, come out. That is where dried dough tends to build up, so being able to reach it is a real gain.

Who should buy it: Anyone who wants fresh ribbons, lasagna sheets or filled pasta and is happy to crank.

2. KitchenAid 3-Piece Pasta Roller and Cutter Set KSMPRA: Best for KitchenAid Owners

This set does the same job as a hand-cranked roller. The difference is that your mixer turns the rollers, so both hands stay free. One hand feeds the dough, the other catches the sheet. That alone makes long sheets far less clumsy to handle.

The three parts swap on and off the mixer’s power hub, the round port on the front of the head. You roll all your sheets first, then switch to a cutter.

There is nothing to clamp, so a rounded stone edge or a counter with no overhang is no problem.

If you are still choosing the mixer itself, that is a separate decision. Our guide to the best stand mixer covers which models have the hub and how much bowl you need.

Who should buy it: KitchenAid owners who want fresh ribbons and sheets without a second machine on the counter.

3. KitchenAid Gourmet Pasta Press KSMPEXTA: Best Mixer Attachment for Tubes and Spirals

This is the other half of what a KitchenAid can do with pasta. The roller set at number 2 makes flat pasta. The press pushes dough through a shaped disc, so you get hollow and twisted shapes no roller can make.

A small wire on the front trims the pasta as it comes out. The press takes a stiffer, drier dough than a roller, so plan to mix it a little differently. The dough section below explains how.

Who should buy it: Mixer owners who cook more baked pasta and chunky sauces than delicate ribbons.

4. Philips 7000 Series Pasta Maker HR2660/03: Best Automatic Pasta Maker

This machine does the whole job by itself. You add flour, pour in the liquid, press start, and it mixes, kneads and pushes fresh pasta out the front. No rolling, no clamping, no resting the dough. A batch is ready in roughly the time it takes your pasta water to boil.

The 7000 Series is Philips’ larger model. It makes up to eight portions at once, so it suits a family or a dinner for friends. The removable parts can go in the dishwasher, which is not true of any roller machine on this list.

Who should buy it: Busy households that want fresh pasta often with almost no effort.

5. Philips Viva Compact Pasta and Noodle Maker HR2371/05: Best for Small Kitchens

This is the narrow sibling of the 7000 Series. At about 5.3 inches wide, it slides into a gap most appliances will not fit. It works the same way as the bigger Philips.

You trade some range for the small size. It comes with three discs, and the batch is smaller.

Owner reviews show a clear pattern. Most problems trace back to flour and liquid amounts, and buyers who measure carefully report much better pasta. You can read the owner reviews of the Philips Viva Compact to see the patterns yourself.

Who should buy it: Small households and studio apartment kitchens that want fresh pasta without giving up much counter. If counter space is your main worry, our tips on where to store small appliances in a small kitchen will help it find a home.

6. Verve Culture Italian Pasta Chitarra With Rolling Pin: Best Without a Machine

A chitarra (Italian for “guitar”) is a wooden box with thin steel strings stretched across it. You lay a sheet of dough on top, roll a pin over it, and the strings cut it into strands.

It needs no gears or motor, which makes it the cheapest way into fresh pasta. It also makes a shape the others cannot: spaghetti with square edges. When the sheet is as thick as the gap between strings, the strands come out square. You roll the dough by hand, so it takes more effort than a roller machine.

Who should buy it: Curious beginners, cooks who enjoy the handwork, and anyone who wants fresh pasta without another gadget.

7. Marcato Ravioli Attachment for Atlas 150: Best Add-On for Ravioli

Making ravioli by hand is slow. You cut, fill, fold and press one at a time. This add-on does the filling and sealing in one pass.

You roll two long sheets on the Atlas at setting 6, as Marcato advises. Then you feed both into the attachment with the filling spooned into the hopper. As you crank, it drops filling between the sheets, presses them together and cuts a strip of linked squares.

Who should buy it: Atlas owners who make ravioli more than once a year.

8. Marcato Tacapasta Pasta Drying Rack: Best Drying Rack

Long fresh pasta clumps if you pile it on a plate. A rack lets each strand hang on its own, so the noodles stop sticking.

The Tacapasta has 16 arms that fan out around a central post. That spreads the pasta out so air reaches every strand. The included wand lets you lift noodles straight from the machine to the rack, and later from the rack to the pot.

It folds, too. Closed, it is about the size of a slim cutting board. It slips beside the cutting boards or into a drawer.

Who should buy it: Anyone who rolls ribbons or chitarra spaghetti and wants to make a batch ahead of dinner.

Rolled Sheets or Extruded Shapes: Which Do You Want?

Every pasta maker does one of two things.

Rollers flatten dough. Soft egg dough passes between two smooth cylinders that squeeze it thinner. You end up with a long sheet.

Extruders push dough through a shape. A screw or plunger forces a stiff dough through a disc with holes in it. The hole decides the shape, just like a cookie press. This is the only way to make hollow tubes and twists at home.

Shape	How it is made	Picks that make it
Lasagna sheets	Rolled	Atlas+, KitchenAid roller
Fettuccine, tagliolini	Rolled and cut	Atlas+, KitchenAid roller, Philips Viva Compact (fettuccine)
Spaghetti	Rolled and cut, or extruded	Atlas+, KitchenAid roller and press, Philips Viva Compact
Square spaghetti alla chitarra	Rolled, then cut on strings	Verve Culture chitarra
Ravioli	Rolled and filled	Atlas+ with the ravioli add-on
Penne	Extruded	Philips Viva Compact
Rigatoni, macaroni	Extruded	KitchenAid press
Fusilli, bucatini	Extruded	KitchenAid press

If you like Asian-style noodles too, the same split applies. Many fresh wheat noodles start as rolled sheets. Our explainer on lo mein vs chow mein shows how one noodle can go two very different ways in the pan.

Manual, Motor, Mixer Attachment or Automatic?

Next, decide who does the work.

Manual Hand-Crank Machines

You turn a handle and feed the dough. This is the cheapest way to get very even sheets. The catch is that one hand cranks while the other guides the dough.

Add-On Motors

Some manual rollers, including the Atlas+, take a clip-on motor. It turns the rollers for you, so you get the same machine with free hands.

Stand Mixer Attachments

If you own a KitchenAid, its motor can drive a roller or an extruder. There is no clamp, and the attachments store in a drawer. The trade-off is cost, and you need the mixer. A hand mixer has no attachment hub, so this route only works with a stand mixer.

Automatic Extruders

You still measure the flour and liquid, but the machine does everything else. It mixes, kneads and extrudes without help. They are the easiest choice for short shapes and the biggest to store.

Type	Work for you	Sheets and ribbons	Tubes and spirals	Storage
Manual roller	Most	Yes	No	Small box
Roller plus motor	Less	Yes	No	Small box plus motor
Mixer attachment	Little	Roller set only	Press only	Drawer, plus the mixer
Automatic extruder	Almost none	Flat noodles only, no sheets	Yes	Full appliance

Pasta Dough Basics for Each Kind of Machine

Rolled and extruded doughs are different. Using the wrong one is the most common reason a new machine seems to fail.

Dough for Roller Machines

A common starting point is about 100 grams of flour for each large egg. Fine “00” flour gives silky sheets, and all-purpose flour works too. Mix, knead until smooth, then wrap it and let it rest for about 30 minutes so it relaxes and rolls more easily.

Start at the widest setting. Fold the sheet in thirds and roll it again a few times. This smooths the dough and squares the edges. Then go thinner one notch at a time, with a light dusting of flour or semolina between passes.

Weighing flour is far more reliable than using cups, because a cup of flour can vary a lot. Our guide to scaling recipes down for one covers how to cut a one-pound batch in half without guessing.

Dough for Extruders

Extruder dough is much drier. It should look like coarse, damp sand and only hold together when you squeeze it. If it forms a smooth ball, it is too wet and will gum up the disc. Semolina and water is a common mix for extruded shapes.

How to Clean a Pasta Maker

Never wash a roller machine in water. Water gets inside, rusts the parts and washes away the oil that keeps the rollers turning.

The safe way to clean any roller, including the ravioli add-on:

1. Let leftover bits of dough dry for about an hour, so they turn hard and brittle.
2. Run the crank and brush the rollers and cutters with a dry pastry brush.
3. Use a wooden skewer for dough stuck between the cutter teeth. Never use a knife.
4. Wipe the outside with a dry or barely damp cloth.
5. Store it in its box or a bag so dust stays off the rollers.

Extruders are different. Most extruder parts can be washed, and the Philips 7000 parts are dishwasher-safe. The easy trick is to let dough in the disc dry first. Dried dough pokes or taps out in pieces, while wet dough smears into every hole.

Wooden tools like the chitarra need a gentle hand wash and a full air dry before you put them away. Treat it the way you would treat a good wooden cutting board.

Clamping a Pasta Machine in a Small Kitchen

Manual roller machines clamp to the edge of a counter or table. That clamp is what stops the machine sliding when you crank. In a small kitchen, finding a good edge is the real puzzle.

The clamp needs a flat lip to grip. Thick stone counters, rounded edges and counters with a drawer right under the top can all cause trouble.

A few things that help:

• Use the table. A sturdy dining or small kitchen table often clamps better than the counter.
• Protect the surface. Fold a cloth between the clamp and the wood to avoid dents.
• Clear a runway. You need space in front of the machine for the sheet. Our guide on how to make more counter space in a small kitchen has ideas, and an over-the-sink cutting board adds a landing spot.

If there is no edge to clamp at all, a mixer attachment or an automatic machine avoids the problem. When you are done, the roller goes back in its box on a high shelf, one of many small kitchen storage ideas that keep the counter clear. The tips in how to bake in a small kitchen without extra counter space work just as well for pasta days.

Drying and Storing Fresh Pasta Safely

Fresh egg pasta is a raw egg food. So the safe rules for eggs apply to it too.

For dinner today, let long pasta hang on a rack until the surface feels dry to the touch. Short shapes can rest on a floured tray. Keep this short rest under two hours, the usual limit for perishable food at room temperature.

For tomorrow, dust the pasta with flour or semolina, coil it into loose nests and keep it covered in the fridge. Cook it within a day or two. For cooked pasta, see how long leftovers last.

For later, freeze it. Spread nests or short shapes on a tray and freeze them until firm, then move them to a bag or an airtight container. Cook straight from frozen. Freezing in single servings works well, as we explain in how to freeze single portions, and a vacuum sealer helps it keep longer.

Storage	How to prepare it	How long
Counter	Hang or spread on a floured tray	Under 2 hours
Fridge	Floured nests, covered	1 to 2 days
Freezer	Freeze on a tray, then bag	Best within a few months

When you cook it, use plenty of water. Fresh pasta cooks fast, often in two to four minutes, so test early. A tall pot such as one of our best stockpots with a lid gives the noodles room to move.

How Much Should You Spend on a Pasta Maker?

Budget	What you get
Under about $100	A chitarra, a drying rack or a basic add-on
About $100 to $150	A well-made Italian manual roller
About $150 to $200	Stand mixer pasta attachments or a compact automatic extruder
About $250 and up	A large automatic extruder, or a roller plus a motor

Cheap off-brand rollers often have less even thickness steps and cutters. If you are weighing price against quality more widely, our take on whether expensive cookware is worth it follows the same logic.

Which Pasta Maker Should You Buy?

• You want ribbons, sheets and ravioli, and do not mind cranking: Marcato Atlas+.
• You own a KitchenAid and want flat pasta: KitchenAid KSMPRA roller set.
• You own a KitchenAid and want tubes and spirals: KitchenAid Gourmet Pasta Press.
• You want fresh pasta with almost no work: Philips 7000 Series.
• You want automatic pasta in a tight kitchen: Philips Viva Compact.
• You want to try fresh pasta without a machine: Verve Culture chitarra.
• You have an Atlas and love ravioli: Marcato ravioli attachment.
• You make long pasta ahead of dinner: Marcato Tacapasta.

Pick the shape first, then the effort level. Once the pasta is made, a good sauce pan finishes the job. Our best sauté pan guide covers pans wide enough to toss fresh pasta with sauce.

Related Guides

• Best Stand Mixer
• Best Food Processor Under $100
• Cheap Meals for One Person
• Countertop Organization Ideas for a Small Kitchen
• Store Baking Supplies in a Small Kitchen
• Best Small Kitchen Appliances for Cooking for One
• Small Kitchen Hacks
• Small Kitchen Gadgets Worth Buying When You Cook for One

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a pasta maker worth it?

It is if you make fresh pasta more than a few times a year. A roller machine turns a ball of egg dough into even sheets in minutes, which is slow and tiring with a rolling pin. If you only want to try fresh pasta once, start with a rolling pin and a knife. If you mostly want penne or macaroni, an extruder is the better buy.

What is the difference between a pasta roller and a pasta extruder?

A roller squeezes soft dough between two smooth cylinders to make flat sheets. You then cut the sheets into ribbons such as fettuccine, or fill them for ravioli. An extruder pushes a stiffer, crumbly dough through a shaped disc, the way a pastry bag pushes icing. That is how you get tubes and spirals like penne, rigatoni and fusilli.

Should I get a manual or electric pasta maker?

Get a manual roller if you want the best sheets for the least money and do not mind turning a crank. Get a KitchenAid attachment if you already own the mixer and want both hands free. Get an automatic extruder if you want short shapes with almost no effort. Electric machines save work but cost more and take more storage space.

Can you wash a pasta maker with water?

Not the roller kind. Water can get into the gears and rollers and cause rust or sticky, stiff parts. Let leftover dough dry for an hour, then brush it off with a dry brush and wipe the outside with a dry cloth. Extruder parts are different. Many automatic machines have parts you can wash, and some go in the dishwasher.

How long does fresh homemade pasta last?

Fresh egg pasta is a raw egg food, so treat it like one. Cook it the same day, or keep it covered in the fridge and use it within a day or two. For longer storage, freeze it in small nests on a tray, then move them to a freezer bag. Cook it straight from frozen and add a minute to the time.